Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission Set To Launch
The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission is being live-streamed by SpaceX and Axiom Space on YouTube.
Viewers can also watch the live stream on the official website of SpaceX and its social media handles.
SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA's PARENTS EXPRESS JOY
For Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, this will be an opportunity to emulate fellow Indian Air Force Officer Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Sharma spent seven days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station.
Meanwhile, hours before the Axiom-4 mission's launch, joy, pride, and excitement swept through Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, as the astronaut's father, Shambhu Dayal, expressed that his son's achievement brings pride not only to Lucknow but also to the entire nation.
'We are delighted. Our blessings are with him, and we also pray to God for his mission to be completed well. He is fully prepared. It feels great to see all the posters that have been put up for him. He is bringing laurels to Lucknow, the state and our country. We are proud of him," Shambhu Sayal said.
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